The trade deadline is filled with conflicting incentives. You have some players that are begging to leave their current team and start anew elsewhere. You have some players who would like to stay with their current team but are getting traded because it is in the teams long or short term interests to do so. Some players are getting traded to make their teams better. Some players are getting traded to make their team worse. Some players are getting traded just to make salaries match. Some players are moving to better situations. Some players are moving to worst situations. Some trades will have players telling their friends and family how happy they are to move. Some trades involve telling your wife and kids that they are going to be uprooted yet again so that the player can continue to live their NBA dream.
Sometimes we forget that sports and the actions around it don’t just involve matching salaries and skill sets. People are also involved. Trades split up friends and move them to opposite sides of the country. But a trade can change a player’s future, giving them an opportunity to show their talents or put them in a situation where their minutes are reduced and they become largely forgotten. Teams know what players they are getting and giving away, but they don’t know whether those acquisitions and departures will make their team better or worse. Often teams are surprised in one way or the other.
With that being said, 37 players were traded on Thursday, the NBA trade deadline.
The Straightforward Trades (2 team deals)
OKC Thunder trades Ish Smith to the Pelicans
This trade appears to have been done for salary relief.
Timberwolves trade Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett, the only player still in the league from the 1995 draft class, returns to the team that drafted him 2 decades ago. There is speculation that the Wolves want to re sign him but I’m pretty sure that this trade just allows Garnett to retire with the team that drafted him. Meanwhile, Thad Young has been in basketball purgatory going from the Listless 76ers to the awful Timberwolves to the Nets. One day, he’ll go to a team that can use his talents.
Nuggets trade Javale McGee and a Oklahoma City’s top-18 protected first round pick to the Sixers for the rights to Cenk Akyol.
Javale McGee is a fun player to watch but he’s expensive and often injured. That’s why the Nuggets traded him and included a draft pick. The “player” they got back was drafted in 2005 and likely will not play in the NBA.
Kings trade Ramon Sessions to the Wizards for Andre Miller
Backup Point Guard for Backup Point Guard. Andre Miller is going to play for his former coach, George Karl and Sessions gets to experience the playoffs.
Knicks trade Pablo Prigioni to the Rockets for Alexy Shved and two second round picks.
This is a mostly meaningless trade. It gives the Rockets some guard depth and little else.
Nuggets trade Arron Afflalo and Alonzo Gee to the Blazers for Thomas Robinson, Will Barton, Victor Claver and a lottery protected 2016 first round pick.
Afflalo goes to the Blazers to be a slightly overqualifed backup. Thomas Robinson, 5th overall pick in the heralded 2012 NBA draft, gets traded to his 4th team since being drafted. The Nuggets receive a draft pick.
76ers trade KJ McDaniels to the Rockets for Isaiah Canaan and second round pick
There are good reasons to the 76ers. I was going to buy tickets to watch the Sixers play against the Nuggets to watch KJ McDaniels. He’s athletic and does a lot of fun things on defense. Now he’s gone from an occasional starter on the Sixers to a bench player on the Rockets. Canaan is probably going to be the starting point guard for the Sixers.
Complex deals (3 team trades)
Suns, Bucks, 76ers
Phoenix acquires Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall (waived)
Milwaukee gets Michael Carter Williams, Miles Plumlee and Tyler Ennis
Philadelphia acquires Lakers top-5 protected 2015 draft pick
So, Tankadelphia just traded their Rookie of the Year for a draft pick. Some people are worried that this is just the Sixers tanking again. But I think that Carter- Williams is overrated and the RoY award comes from being in a weak draft class. Getting the 6th or 7th pick in the 2015 will be more valuable.
Thunder, Jazz, Pistons
Detroit gets Reggie Jackson
Oklahoma City gets Enes Kanter, Steve Novak DJ Augustin and Kyle Singler
Utah gets Kendrick Perkins (Waived), Grant Jerett, rights to Tibor Pleiss, and 2 second round picks
Detroit gets a starting-caliber point guard. The Thunder get a starting caliber center. I’m surprised that Utah didn’t get more in the trade. I guess that it’s tank time for Utah
Celtics, Suns, Pistons
Boston gets Isaiah Thomas, Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome
Phoenix gets Marcus Thornton and a 2016 second round draft pick
Detroit gets Tayshaun Prince
Prince goes back to Detroit. Thomas gets another opportunity to come off the bench, except now he does it for a non-playoff team.
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